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Leonid Nevzlin: It Will End With Ukrainian Flag In Sevastopol Bay213.08.2022, 16:53 22,994 LEONID NEVZLINA turning point in the war is possible in the fall.Russian-Israeli philanthropist Leonid Nevzlin, the former Yukos V.P., gave an interview with Dmitry Gordon, the founder of the Gordon online publication. During the interview, they discussed the full-scale Russian war against Ukraine. Did he expect a full-scale Russian war against Ukraine, and how did he feel when it began? When did Russian President Vladimir Putin decide to attack Ukraine? Do Russian oligarchs have influence over Putin? Who is businessman Roman Abramovich for the President of Russia? What prevents the West from destroying Putin? They also talked about a possible turning point in the course of the war and its end with the installation of the flag of Ukraine in Sevastopol Bay.– Leonid Borisovich, good evening.– Good evening, Dmitry.– Shalom, as they say in Israel.– Shalom.– Do you know how it works, when a man proposes, but God disposes? I arranged an interview with you, I was supposed to fly to Israel, I was getting ready and the war started. Tell me, please, did you expect this war to start?– No, I did not expect such a war to begin. I assumed that there would be some events on the territory of the so-called DPR and LPR, that there would be more support, there would be more private military companies like Wagner and others, but in fact under the guise of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, contractors and so on. Nevertheless, I did not expect that there would be a military offensive against Ukraine.How did you feel when you found out that the war had begun?– Shock was the first. I consider myself a normal person. No reasonable person can expect a war between Ukraine and Russia. Secondly, a terrible shame in front of the Ukrainians for the fact that I, a citizen of the Russian Federation, who was born there and lived in Moscow for 43 years, was involved in what was going on, even indirectly. Namely, the killings, destruction, and injuries of peaceful Ukrainian citizens and, in general, all this horror that began on February 24th.– You were a member of the Federation Council of Russia...– I was a member of the Federation Council of Russia in 2002 and 2003.– Although, you were one of the richest people in Russia, and among the political elites of Russia. Could you please tell us how they make such decisions? Who is responsible for this?– I left in connection with the Yukos case in 2003. And since then I have been an observer of what is happening there. The only good thing is that I still have many friends, and many sources, and I understand what is happening there, more or less.In fact, from 1996 to 2000, all decisions were made by a narrow group of people called "family". This is Roman Abramovich, this is Valentin Yumashev, this is Tatyana Dyachenko, this is Aleksandr Voloshin, and Anatoly Chubais, who periodically joined them. And from 2000 to 2004, decisions were made 90% by the same group and 10% by Putin and his, so to speak, new accompanying group from St. Petersburg. Decisions have been made mainly by the St. Petersburg group and personally by Vladimir Putin since 2004. Regardless of who was the president: Medvedev, the puppet, or Putin himself.Since 2012, when Putin was actually elected for the first time for real, that is, these were elections that he really won... No matter how fair or dishonest they were, he won them. The ratings and everything else evidenced this. Most of the decisions are made by him personally and consulted with a very narrow, narrow circle of people.– Who makes up this narrow circle? Can we list the names?– We definitely know that Yuri Kovalchuk has the greatest influence on Putin: both personal and ideological. Moreover, he is like an equal among equals. He has a slightly higher rank than other of Putin's friends from St. Petersburg. He is at least equal to Putin. This can be seen both in the model of his behaviour and in what he can and cannot do in the Russian Federation. That is, in fact, he can do everything.Further, the head of Rosneft, Igor Sechin, has a significant influence on Putin. No matter what they think of him, he really has a great influence, despite his meager mind, but very, so to speak, reverent closeness to the body of the leader.– Does he have a poor mind?– Yes, Sechin is a very unsmart person. Well, such a person... Let's say.. Black and white, linear.– Well, do you suppose him to be a fool?– Rather not a fool. There is a better Russian word. But I will say without jargon: an idiot. Once Oleg Pavlovich Tabakov told me about his dialogue with Igor Sechin at Tabakov's house. Igor Sechin drank whiskey and stared blankly at some point, sitting in an armchair. After two hours of Oleg Pavlovich's monologue, he said: "How I hate them all..." - "Whom?" asked Oleg Pavlovich. "Gorbachev and Yeltsin". – "Why?" Oleg Pavlovich asked. "For the collapse of the Soviet Union," Sechin answered. He was like this the whole evening.– It is ridiculous. So who else makes up the tight circle?– He is changing little by little. – People like Chemezov play a certain role. Still, the head of Rostec Sergey Chemezov, businessman Arkady Rotenberg and businessman Gennady Timchenko, and more so-called friends and money partners.And now, at the present time, I think, the influence of security agencies and special services has dramatically increased. First of all, this is the head of the FSB, Aleksandr Bortnikov. In the second place - and now, perhaps, in the first place - the generals of the Ministry of Defence because of the war. To a small extent, Secretary of the Security Council of the Russian Federation Nikolai Patrushev. Yes, and there are two people in the presidential administration who have some influence. This, without a doubt, is the deputy head of the Presidential Administration of the Russian Federation, Sergei Kiriyenko...– Head of the Presidential Administration of the Russian Federation Anton Vaino?– I think Vaino has no influence. Vaino is an assistant. Kiriyenko has real influence. Because he is, first of all, Kovalchuk's man. Secondly, he himself understands and knows what needs to be done to please both Kovalchuk and, so to speak, this boss.There is also such a person as Dmitry Kozak, Deputy Head of the Presidential Administration of the Russian Federation, who is very close to the president in any situation and has a specific and rather significant influence on him. The president listens to him. Aleksey Gromov has influence, both directly and indirectly, because he has long and professionally managed this whole propaganda colossus. And when you are told, for example: “Maria Zakharova is a representative of the Foreign Ministry”, then in fact she is Gromov’s propagandist and not a representative of some Foreign Ministry. Do you understand? That is, when she goes public, she goes out on behalf of the Deputy Head of the administration, Gromov, and not Foreign Minister Lavrov.– But how did Maria get there? She is also not a kind of a smart person.– Well, I don't really want to talk bad about a woman. Especially if she's an ugly drinker. Some say that she drank less and was more beautiful in her youth, and served with Lavrov for about 10 years at the United Nations in New York. I think he's pulling her along.– You must have seen the terrible, in my opinion, meeting of the Russian Security Council, when Putin persuaded everyone to attack Ukraine. I'll tell you honestly: I thought that the highest political elite in Russia should be smart, educated, talented people. Well, the personnel recruitment system should work, Russia is a big country. I was just depressed about what I saw and heard. And what was your impression?– The impression was very heavy since this was in fact a declaration of war. These people basically understood what was going on and what they were signing off. In any case, such experienced ones as the Speaker of the Federation Council Valentina Matvienko, Patrushev and many others. But they were terrified. They were intimidated. Actually, they were more like robots. And the one who stammered with fear, like a boss...– Head of the Foreign Intelligence Service Sergei Naryshkin.– Director of the SVR (the Russian Foreign Intelligence Service - ed.). They were "punched in the face" pointedly so that it was clear who the boss was. In general, it was a story that could have happened in the office of the head of Chechnya, Ramzan Kadyrov. This would be an ordinary thing for the Chechen leader's office. However, it happened at the Russian leader's office. That's why it didn't look right.Also, I want to tell you about the personnel recruitment system. Putin has organised it as the leader of the mafia and behaves like the head of an organised crime group or mafia because an organised crime group as a whole country is too much. Therefore, I promote him to the position of a mafioso, although, in my opinion, he personally, on his own, is at the level of an average leader of a small organised crime group like the Solntsevskaya OCG. But, nonetheless. This story is an oath of allegiance of smaller mafiosi to the main boss. This is how it looked. And there could be no other officials. Because the leading officials are the same, the worst of the rest, they did not attend any retraining. These are people who have been with Putin for more than 20 years. They cannot be a level higher than Putin. And Putin's level is pretty clear to us.And what's more, people don't get smarter with age unless they constantly learn. But they do not learn. At the same time, to say that there is no personnel system in Russia at all is to tell a lie. There is a system. Millions of people pass through it. According to my estimates, over the years about 20 million people have passed through this system. But we are talking about young employees, which we still hardly see. They even appear at the level of governors, and deputy mini
